Broncos History: 1973 yearbook

[@russbeard3665]

These are some great clips of the upstart 73' Broncs... Great times!!

[@armorybrunotjr.3204]

The Broncos had only a below .500 record in their tenure of the AFL. They (apparently) overcame the stigma of the infamous brown stripe socks era in Denver in 1973. Veteran Charlie Johnson was probably was the Broncos first great quarterback.

[@lesschoenberger3070]

Yes he was. It's too bad that he was older and battered and only lasted a few years there, but he brought them to a level that they had never been at before and started them on their winning ways.

[@robertsprouse9282]

They were 7-7-0 in '62 under Jack Faulkner in his first year, but after he re-did the roster, chasing original Broncs qb FRANK TRIPUCKA away, they went 2-11-1 in '63, and after failing as both head coach and later head coach/G.M., he was fired, with his future holding long time NFL assistant coaching post slots with three teams, including on the SUPER BOWL XIV losing RAMS, along with stints as a player personnel guy, and asst. G.M. with L.A.R. AND NEW ORLEANS where he signed ARCHIE MANNING OUT OF OLE MISS. FAULKNER who previously, played and coached under his college coach at MIAMI of OHIO= SID GILLMAN, later coached under GILLMAN at the U. of CINCINNATI, the NFL's L.A. RAMS in the '50's where they won an NFL WEST TITLE, and in the AFL with the CHARGERS as defensive coordinator of their first two WEST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP CLUBS. He brought the BRONCOS their orange uniforms although, he wanted burnt orange like the Cleveland Browns he grew up rooting for. The shipment brought bright orange, instead, but the brown and mustard gold unis were history and bonfire burnt history at that, lol..save one, original vertically-striped sock which Faulkner sent to the PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME. By the way, the season they were 7-7, they started out 6-1..and collapsed.. Later, they went to reddish orange unis, only to revert back to bright orange in 1982. Charlie Johnson meanwhile, could not stay healthy and retired around mid-decade, retired to a 40+ year career teaching petrochemical engineering at his alma mater- NEW MEXICO ST. UNIV.

[@MGAF688]

A rare year for John Facenda to narrate Broncos highlights.

[@robertsprouse9282]

Big improvement over Martin..

[@MGAF688]

@@robertsprouse9282 I don't disagree. But at this point, there is nothing else you can do. Martin did the highlights in most of Denver's winning seasons.

[@lesschoenberger3070]

12:05 is the play that Jack Tatum thought he killed Riley Odoms! How he held on to the ball and got up from that is remarkable! Odoms was great!!!

[@michaelleroy9281]

23-23 tie with the Raiders on MNF started to turn things around

[@russellseilhamer4552]

I love fascenda doing the broncos highlights. A 7-5-2 record was the first winning season in the teams history. They were perhaps 3 or 4 plays away from a division title that year. The first ever win in Kansas City. Denver was 2-25 for its history vs KC before that victory. The Broncos had the AFLs worst record in the 1960s but Ralston really turned the culture around. Slow starts would derail Denver in 1974 and 75 and even a 9-5 mark in 1976 left the Broncos two games short of the WC. Ralston was forced out by a player revolt most of whom had an issue with his offensive play calling and was replaced by Red Miller. 1973 was the beginning of an 4 year up and down struggle to rise into the elite ranks as an organization. Ralston was the catalyst for all the improvements along the journey .

[@lesschoenberger3070]

He sure had an eye for talent and brought in some great players. Too bad he couldn't stay on as general manager and use that eye while Red Miller coached the team, but I understand that would've been tough especially after the player's revolt. Ralston did so much good for that organization, even Red Miller acknowledged his contributions!

[@howardcosell2022]

Broncos reaped the benefits of Ralston who was two years from his coaching stint from Stanford. In 73 the roster had 10 rookies and 4 second year players

[@robertsprouse9282]

R.I.P., JIM "TANK" TURNER..

[@BIG-D-STAR]

THE RED-ORANGE CRUSH!!

[@ciesaro]

from 1970-75 Denver for some oddball reason played four NFC teams a season. It became the norm in 1978.

[@robertsprouse9282]

Because they were not as far away for eastern seaboard teams as west coast squads and cities are and were, DENVER got the semi-swing team treatment, saving travel dough for the league. All the other NFC AND AFC teams except DENVER AND I believe.. DETROIT, played three interconference games only until, if I am not mistaken, four games- certainly now 5- became standard in 1978 when the league went to 16 games, twelve vs. INTRA-conference opponents and 4 vs. INTER-conference teams.

[@ciesaro]

@@robertsprouse9282 many thanks for the explanation

[@robertsprouse9282]

@@ciesaro, no thanx needed.. Take care..

[@michaelleroy9281]

This season the Broncos put themselves on the football map

[@robertsprouse9282]

That season..yes..This(past) season they were garbage. I think you meant this IS the season, although technically its WAS THE SEASON. But, yep this was only my second season as a Broncos fan here in Texas, and the final loss against Oakland not withstanding, this was a fun campaign. Wow, it was a blast after the jetisoning of, in my first season as a Broncs fan, under-performing qback DON HORN from 1972's 5-9-0 debacle after albeit, a 1-4 start. Johnson coming off injuries with Houston, recovered, and took over the playcalling early on. The Broncs were 4-5 in their last nine games, a sign of competitiveness under Charlie..still to come.

[@kareemmoreland9119]

That Steeler win. Broncos kicked a real good team's arse on the road.

[@guywoodard-pj9jp]

76

[@eddiekulp1241]

7- 5 -2 team is made out to be champions , there were not even close

[@lesschoenberger3070]

21:57 Staubach got crushed!

[@jonprude2557]

the '73 Broncos were their coolest version... not their best, obviously, but so cool. Maybe it's the grey face-masks and Joe Dawkins.

[@robertsprouse9282]

Lol, or LITTLE, JOHNSON, ODOMS, and TOM JACKSON in his '73 rookie year= interesting, exciting. In fact, from the time TOMMY JAX was drafted till his retirement after that first-half injury in SBOWL 22, the demarcation of Denver being competitive in that game-well that and the safety and missed Karlis field goals and blown redzones, and the refs blowing the ORSON MOBLEY long catch call as incomplete- the BRONCOS only had two losing seasons('75= 6-8-0, and 2-7-0 in strike shortened '82). Thanks TINY TOM J.. ONE OF THE GREATEST MOST UNDERRATED BRONCOS of all time.. He should have been NFL defensive MVP in '77. How many times did he come up with the big d-play that year like the long pick-six or was it a fumble recovery for a score in the Colts game? Whatever.. Harvey Martin the d-winner had an offense to back him up in DALLAS, and their defense was always playing with the lead. That was not always the case with DENVER in '77's magical season.

[@howardcosell2022]

Joe Dawkins was traded to the Giants for a 3rd round pick who turned out to be Mike Franckowiak